Gregory Clark is living proof that we all eventually get the face we deserve. The craggy, weather-beaten features of the 67-year-old author and former Hong Kong diplomat are the perfect accompaniment to a cussed, independent intellect that has earned him a reputation over the years as one of Asia's most combative, if unpredictable, commentators.

When Martin Luther King delivered his 'I have a dream' speech 40 years ago, he was addressing an American audience about an American problem - that, 100 years after they were set free, 'the Negro is still not free'.

I read, with relief, 'Racism goes beyond the power of government' (June 10) by Jake van der Kamp.

At best, cases cited as racism by proponents of an anti-racism law are overblown accounts of insignificant incidents; at worst, they are falsifications, as I have often witnessed, to the point of being harassed to produce an example.

The Hong Kong government's willingness to support an anti-racism law ('HK backs moves to outlaw racism', June 9) is good news for all ethnic minorities residing here and people who will visit Hong Kong.

I HAVE A confession and an accusation to make. My confession is I am a racist. My accusation is I think you are one too.

It is the way of social vices. We are all victim to them in some measure and we free ourselves from them only by keeping a guard on ourselves in everyday life. People who say they are not in any way tainted by racism are people who do not know themselves.

As a new year dawns, it is natural to ponder whether things will improve or just remain the same. Looking at relations between China and Japan, it must be said that there is reason for optimism, although problems will clearly remain.